In a competitive product marketplace, it has become desirable to provide different methods of distinguishing one product from another, and making one product more attractive to users or consumers than another product. Entire fields of marketing, advertising, and graphic arts have, in many instances, been devoted to such marketing efforts.
One prior art display method has consisted of providing distinctive lighting to various products on display. For example, in Lynch et al. U.S. Patent Publication No. 2007/0022644, shelving units are designed to incorporate lighting mechanisms, which in turn provide distinctive lighting to the products displayed.
Attempts have been made to also provide for product packaging to provide its own illumination. For example, in the above-referenced publication, a package or container was provided incorporating an electroluminescent (“EL”) panel. Providing alternating current (“AC”) power to such a panel, however, is quite problematic. In U.S. Patent Publication No. 2007/0022644, electrical wires were provided from the EL panel (on the product) to a power source hidden from view. This is not a suitable solution, however, because the consumer or user cannot remove the product from the display without disconnecting the wires from the hidden power supply. In addition, this could be a hazardous process unsuitable for most commercial or practical applications, such as in a retail grocery store, with safety and liability concerns.
Other methods of providing illumination or other lighting to packaging has involved incorporating a power supply within the packaging, such as including a battery within the package to power light emitting diodes (“LEDs”) provided on the package. This prior art method is also inadequate, as either switching would have to be provided on the package to turn the light source on or off, or the battery may become depleted before the merchandise has been removed from the point of purchase. This is also an expensive method, requiring separate electronics and a separate power source for each article to be sold. In addition, once removed from the point of purchase, the packaging may still be operable, which in some circumstances may raise a safety concern.
Yet other methods of providing power to objects has typically also involved incorporating a battery and lighting source (such as an LED) within a hand-held object, such as an electric toothbrush or electric razor, with the lighting source typically used to indicate that the battery is being charged when the hand-held object is secured in its charging base. These prior art devices include considerable electronics within the hand-held objects, including various rectifiers, capacitors, resistors, motors, and other power converters, which must be provided as discrete or integrated electronic components. These devices also utilize comparatively thick, solenoid-shaped inductors to transfer power between the base and the hand-held device. Again, this is also an expensive method, requiring separate electronics and a separate power source for each object.
Accordingly, a need remains to provide a system for self-illuminating display objects. Such a system should provide power to the display object without requiring an electrical connection to a separate power supply. In addition, such a system should be able to receive energy to power its illumination source without requiring the incorporation of switching and driving electronics and power sources within the display object, such as within the packaging for a consumer product. The display objects having the illumination source should be capable of manufacturing at low cost, such as through a printing process, including manufactured as part of the packaging or container of the incorporated contents. Lastly, such as system should provide for the illumination source to be sealed or self-contained, without external connections required, and further, to be inert when removed from the point of purchase display or other support.